Jim Vines Presents...

Saturday, November 5, 2016

A: I’ve always written contributing
articles and book reviews to periodicals, mainly archaeology related ones. I’d
always wanted to write novels and my head began to fill with ideas until I got
to the point where I sat down to write the first words of my first book. Once I
realized I’d be able to finish the book I decided to leave my job and become a
writer.

Q: What is your typical writing day
like?

A: I have two typical types of day. The
first is to get up and have breakfast while I read the paper. After about an
hour or so something tells me I need to write. I listen to music as I write and
write for as long as the ideas flow and the writing isn’t forced. The second type of day is when the
ideas don’t come and the writing doesn’t flow, in which case I do something
completely different until it begins to happen. I also need many days to
research, make notes and prepare for writing. This preparation creates a
structure that allows me to write.

Q: Do you outline? If so, how extensive are your outlines?

A: I find I need an
idea of the story line to provide me with a structure that shapes the novel but
provides space to accommodate the flashes of inspiration that all writers get.
In this way the inspiration changes the dynamic but stays within the overall
intention of the book. I write novel cycles and this demands discipline to
prevent one novel subverting the others. The only way I can do this is by starting
with an idea of where the series is going to end and the only way that works
for me is to road test the validity and integrity of this before I begin. Once
the structure is in place I know I have plenty of freedom in how I deliver the
story and action.

Q: How many revisions will you typically
do on a novel?

A: I constantly revise and revisit as I
write. Then I try and leave the book for a period without thinking about it.
Once it’s out of my head I return and do a full scale revision of the plot
after which I give it a final revision for style and mistakes before it goes to
be edited.

Q: What is your best tip for editing a
manuscript?

A: I have two tips. If you have the
slightest hesitation about anything then cut it. The second is that the
first draft, however much revised, is always too long and will require pruning,
often quite savagely. It helps if you try to view your writing from the
perspective of a hostile critic.

Q: What habits and tricks have made you
a better writer?

A: I am fortunate to have someone who reads
my books and comments critically as I am writing. It is very easy to become
too wrapped up in your creation and complacent about it. I also pay attention
to criticism of previous books where it is helpful. I think after one book has
come out it is a good thing to consider what I could have done better before
starting the next.

Q: Do you suffer from writer’s block? If so, how do you fight it?A: When I get blocked, which happens
periodically, I stop and do something else. I find that going for a walk, or
other exercise helps. If I set out to walk the fields
for a few hours I take a note book with me as once my head clears the ideas
come....and the ideas are back.

Q: What drew you to your preferred
genre(s)?

A: I was an archaeologist and ancient historian
and the ancient Greek books came out of a question which was difficult to
understand through research. The feeling grew that the best way to try and
explain the reasons why the Athenians invented and then defended, against all
the odds, democracy was to try and fill in the gaps and that included the
psychology of the individuals concerned. The best way to approach that was
through imagining their situations; from that it was a short step to a novel. The supernatural thrillers were inspired
by a love of the more subtle, atmosphere-driven examples of the genre and also,
and there’s no way to get around this, by my own experience.

Q: Do you utilize Beta readers

A: No.

Q: In your most recently published
novel, what was one scene you really enjoyed writing—and why?

A: I enjoyed writing the scene where a
disoriented Jed Gifford is hunted across the moss in Dark Coven (book 3 in the
Ancient Gramarye series). It deals with the demise of a particularly unpleasant
minor character and is written from his perspective. It is a particularly dark
scene and very fast moving. I felt the sense of strange
atmosphere as I wrote and because of that managed to inject an element of
sympathy for Jed I hadn’t anticipated, and even a touch of dark humor. After
all everyone has their own story to tell. I think it is a genuinely ambiguous
and frightening few pages

Q: What makes the characters of your
most recent novel so special?

A: I finished Greenman Resurrection last
night (Halloween). It is the last in the Ancient Gramarye series. I think the
characters are special because they have loved, suffered and evolved over the
best part of twelve hundred pages. The longer you spend with a character, sharing their feelings, the more real they become. This is particularly
difficult in the case of the less flamboyant, ordinary characters so necessary
in delivering a believable cast. If the characters don’t work, the book won’t.

Q: What is the best advice for author
self-promotion.

A: I’m not really the person to answer that
as I don’t think I’m very good at it. I’ve taught myself social media, etc., but
the best advice I can give is persevere with the writing. It took me a long
time to build up a readership. I also think it helps to promote and help other
writers; it’s a very lonely occupation.

Q: How do you deal with negative
reviews?

A: We all get them, they are a fact of
life. I have three points on this. If they hurt too much, stop reading reviews.
Otherwise try and differentiate the spiteful from those that make a serious
point. Once you have got over the upset consider that point and see if you can
benefit from it. The best help I ever got was when I was writing my first book.
I showed a draft of it to a friend who was an experienced author and then sat
back expecting a shower of praise. She eviscerated it, told me some home truths
about how much hard work it takes to write well and then gave me some very good
advice on how to start again. It is the most significant help I’ve ever had,
based as it was on honesty.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of
being an indie author?A: The freedom that comes with it and the
feeling of self worth when you begin to succeed. By succeed I mean acquire a
readership who love your books.

Q: What is the least favorite aspect
of being an indie author?

A: Having to learn everything for yourself,
no book promotion, and the isolation of the role.

Q: What is your current writing
project?

A: I’ve just finished the Ancient Gramarye
series of supernatural thrillers which began with Skendleby and I think for a
few days I will sit emptily and miss them. In mid November I’ll start writing The Sacrifice of Athena, the third of the Luck Bringer series. I’m looking
forward to inhabiting my favorite character, Mandrocles, again.

Q: What are three of your favorite
novels?

A: It is so hard to choose and I’m
constantly reading, but three that come to mind are Bleak House by Charles
Dickens, Waterland by Graham Swift, and probably, because I loved it when I was
at school, Lord of the Rings. However apart from the Dickens, although it’s a
tight thing between Bleak House and Great Expectations, on another day it could
be a different list.

Q: If you could have lunch with any novelist,
living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

A: Not quite a novelist because there were
no novels when he was writing, but I’d like to have lunch with Aeschylus, the
Greek poet and dramatist from the fifth century BC. He was the first war hero
poet who fought at Salamis and Marathon where his brother bled to death next to
him. He invented modern drama and managed to write about women as strong
characters and not just ignore them like the ancient historians did. He is a
major figure in the Luck Bringer series and I’d like to talk to him about how
my portrayal of him could be improved. I’d also like to share experiences about
how facing violence and dealing with death affects writers. I think there is
plenty of that in his writing and there’s a little in mine.

Q: What is your best piece of advice
for budding authors?

A: Do it because you love it, not for money
or celebrity.

Q: What is your favorite inspirational
quote?

A: The final words of the politician Lord
Palmerston. “Die, my dear doctor? That’s the last
thing I intend to do!"#

Thursday, September 15, 2016

A: I
don't remember becoming a writer. Perhaps it would be better to say, I don't
remember becoming a storyteller. As far as I or any of my close family can
remember, I have always been telling stories. My memory being somewhat hazy, I
don't remember when I first sat down and put one of those stories into writing.
I suppose it would have been at school, in a creative writing lesson. Since
then, I haven't ever stopped. I've been scribbling in notebooks and filling
word-processor documents with ideas ever since.

Q:
What is your typical writing day like?

A: I
don't know if there is a typical day for me, to be honest. I fairly frequently
have a long bus journey to and from work, so I may spend part of that journey
either working over ideas in my head, or getting something basic down on my
laptop. If I'm at home, I like to have a cup of coffee on hand and some mood
music playing. By mood I mean something that evokes whatever place or feeling
the scene I'm about to write should convey.

Q:
Do you outline? If so, how extensive are your outlines?

A: Not
a huge amount. I can't write from the seat of my pants, as the saying goes, but
equally I don't like to map every scene out in advance of writing it. I've
actually just this week started a blog post series exploring
the ways that I am applying frameworks from my day job, as a software
developer, to the writing process.

Q:
How many revisions will you typically do on a novel?

A: That's
hard to say. As many as it needs, I should think. My first pass at anything I
write is inevitably littered with grammatical errors and needs a thorough
scouring for any misplaced apostrophes. After that, there's always plenty to
consider in the editing process.

Q:
What is your best tip for editing a manuscript?

A: Get
someone else to look at it for you. Multiple someone elses, in fact. Not that I
don't think there is a lot to be gleaned from setting aside then returning to
your own work, to review and revise, but a fresh pair of eyes—someone else's
eyes— is an invaluable tool.

Q:
Which writing habits and/or tricks of the trade have made you a better writer?

A: I'm
not sure that you could call it a trick, but the word-processing program
Scrivener has served me especially well, when it comes to being able to plot
and plan in a structured but flexible way. In terms of habits, I'd say reading out aloud
what I've written. It's often a great way of getting a feel for whether a
sentence is structured well, or testing whether dialogue sounds believable.

Q:
Do you ever suffer through writer’s block? If so, how do you fight it?

A: I
do, and I envy any writer who doesn't. One technique that I have found useful
in clearing the blockage, so to speak, is to work on something different. I
know it sounds a little counterproductive, but sometimes spending a couple of
hours—or days—working on a different creative writing project, or on
something not related to writing at all, does wonders for me. If in doubt,
though, going for a run has become a sure-fire way of jiggling the blockage out
of my brain.

Q:
What drew you to write your preferred genre(s)?

A: It
never occurred to me to chose a genre to write. Fantasy and science fiction are
the genres that I love to read, so it was natural for me to write in those
genres too. I can't think of any other genre that I would want to write. Not
that I don't like to read outside of sci-fi and fantasy, but I definitely have no inclination to write, for instance, a thriller or a piece of literary
fiction. I know where my interest and strengths lie.

Q:
Do you utilize beta readers?

A: I
haven't so far, but it's definitely something that I would consider for
projects in the future. The concept makes a lot of sense to me, since I work in
the software development profession, where we release software into various
stages of alpha and beta before letting it loose on a wider audience. I've seen
firsthand how the feedback of beta users has been key in refining a product
into something better, so I can only imagine the same would be true of using
beta readers on a novel.

Q:
In your most recently published novel, what’s one scene you really enjoyed
writing—and why?

A: I'm
not published just yet, but I can answer this in reference to my novel
Witherfist, which is currently in "funding" on Inkshares. In the very first
scene, the reader is introduced to the central character, Irusai Daud. This
introduction has to do a lot in the way of establishing what the world and its
people are like. I enjoyed writing it, and I'm proud of it, because I think it
struck the right balance between building the readers' understanding of the
world, and progressing the narrative. There is a lot of backstory in place,
for the characters and the setting, but the scene is never weighed down by any
of it. Instead, it's sprinkled here and there with hints and teases in a way
that, I've been told, keeps the reader wanting to know more.

Q:
What makes the main character(s) of your most recent novel so special?

A: I'd
like to think that they're both something you've not seen before. Irusai is a
woman in her late thirties, a mother and a wife; but also an incredibly
accomplished warrior. She was once a provincial governor, in the same vein as
the Samurai lords of feudal China. When a political coup threatened the
country, she and a number of her peers made pacts with spirits to gain the
upper hand in combat. Now, Irusai finds herself permanently bound to a creation that feeds upon the life energy of others. She is effectively in self-imposed
exile, and to return home she must not only find a way of ridding herself of
the spirit tied to her, but also potentially come to terms with the knowledge
that going home means accepting an illegitimate ruler, if only so that she can
be reunited with her husband and young daughter.

The
other central character is Arren, a princess of the Empire that Irusai was
sworn to protect. Her father was overthrown by her mother in the political coup
that drove Irusai into exile. Arren sided with her father in the conflict and
consequently is also a fugitive. At the time of the coup, Arren was outside of
Imperial territory, leading diplomatic and trade negotiations in the desert
sultanates of Isherban. She's an incredibly capable woman, who has been well
educated since childhood, but doesn't have a huge number of friends in the
Imperial court. She is also a lesbian, something that perhaps shouldn't be so
special but to me, as a gay woman myself, actually is. Her sexuality is only a
small part of her character, but it's an important one to me, as someone who
grew up surrounded by images of Disney princesses who never quite represented
me.

Q:
What is your best advice for author self-promotion?

A: Make
it personal. As I'm taking part in a publishing contest for the first time, a
lot of what I've been doing is feeling out what works and what doesn't. I've tried
all sorts, from placing adverts both in print and online, to joining networks
of readers and authors. What has been the most successful, without a doubt, has
been engaging on a one-to-one basis with potential readers.

Q:
How do you deal with negative reviews?

A: I'm
always happy to receive constructive feedback, or feedback that amounts to not
much more than "this just isn't my thing." So far, touch wood, I
haven't had any majorly negative reviews from readers. If or when I do, I'm not
sure how I would deal with them, other than to accept that not everyone will
like what I do, and not let that knowledge become a burden.

Q:
What is your favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: I'd
have to say the supporting community. There are so many of us, all trying to
make our voices heard and share our stories with the world. It can be daunting,
but sharing the experience with others makes it less so. On top of that, I have
found there is a real willingness to help not only promote within the
community, but offer frank and honest feedback on any work you might have in
progress.

Q:
What is your least favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A; Dividing
my time between writing and promotion. Though having a support network in place
is fantastic, you ultimately have to be a one-person promotion machine,
unless you're willing and/or able to sink a bunch of cash into getting someone
to promote for you.

Q:
What is your current writing project?

A: My
current project is the epic fantasy novel Witherfist, which is part of Inkshares. Witherfist is an epic fantasy, the first in a
series of novels. The story revolves around two women, both of whom have been
expelled from an empire they once either fought to protect or, in time, stood to
rule.

Q:
What are three of your favorite novels?

A: This
is such a tricky question to answer. After mulling it over for far too long,
I've settled on three by some of my favorite authors.

The
Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

The
Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

The
Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Q:
If you could have lunch with any novelist, living or dead, who would it be?
What would talk to them about?

A: I
think it would be a toss up between two. The first would be George R. R. Martin,
since I'm eagerly awaiting his next release and would love to pick his brains.
The second would be Brandon Sanderson, whose work I admire and draw a lot of
inspiration from. Failing that, Hemingway. I feel like he'd show me a good
time!

Q:
What is your best piece of advice for budding authors?

A: Start
writing. Start getting involved with communities of like-minded writers and
potential readers of your fiction. These networks will become invaluable for
you.

Q:
What is your favorite inspirational quote?

A: "Do
or do not, there is no try." Can't go wrong with the wisdom of a Master Yoda!

#

No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Saturday, May 21, 2016

A: My love of books. I've always loved reading. Books are so awesome! I have been on so many great adventures and have received so much enjoyment out of reading other people's stories that it just seemed like way too much fun to not try writing my own stories. I found out that writing was even more fun than reading, which is saying a lot for me.

Q: What is your typical writing day like?

A: I usually write while commuting to or from work using speech to text on my iPhone. I have a very easy commute with little traffic on the freeway. It's a great time to think and it's a great time to write. Writing with speech to text takes a while to get used to but I think my dialogue is better for it. If I happen to find some free time in the evening I'll get some words in then. Anytime my wife goes out with friends, or if I find some time for myself, I get some writing done. I usually do my first drafts in an app called Simplenote because it autosaves to the cloud. I can use the app on my phone or write in my browser on my laptop. It's great to pick up where I left off on another device and know it's been saved automatically.

Q: Do you outline? If so, how extensive are your outlines?

A: I am an outliner. If I know where the story is going in the first draft, my next draft requires less revision. I usually write down any ideas I have about the story. My subconscious works on it for a while and then the first scene comes. It often comes out all at once; even if I don't end up using it later it informs me about who the characters are. Then I write down the main plot points. I start with the 3 act structure following these headings: Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr. In act 1 my character is an Orphan, either figuratively or literally. Once his world has changed and I'm in act 2, he's a Wanderer. Once he's passed the midpoint of the story and has gone from reacting to the problem to actively fighting against it, he's a Warrior. In act 3 he's come to a place where he is willing to be a Martyr to accomplish his goal. This gives me a rough shape to the character's story. Then I use the 7 point system for the structure (search on YouTube: "Dan Wells, Story Structure"). It uses: Hook, First Plot Point, Pinch Point 1, Mid-Point, Pinch Point 2, Second Plot Point, and Resolution. I also use Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet. Knowing these story points and where they go really helps me further flesh out my story. Once I have these story points down I decide on how long I want my book to be and how long I want the chapters to be. Then on a piece of paper I write down a line or two for each chapter using the story points. When I'm done I move this to a digital file. Granted it's only a sentence or two for each chapter but seeing the whole story on one piece of paper gives me the confidence to move forward. Sometimes filling out this page takes several sessions over the course of a few days. It's kind of like putting a puzzle together. I put each story point (or beat) in the chapter they go in because they all go at a certain point in the story. Then from there I fill in a few lines for the remaining chapters. Once every chapter is done, I usually write a paragraph or two for each chapter. I use this as a reference while I write. I often do a few of these paragraphs before writing them as full chapters. They're only a paragraph or two so I'm still able to discover a lot about my story while writing, but I always know where I'm going.Outlining and learning story structure has helped me go from stories that meander and don't have a good flow, to stories that, at least I think, are worth publishing. The story may change and grow as I write, but I just keep fleshing out the next chapter in a paragraph or two before I write it. I'm not chained to the outline—but man, does it help me write better stories! [Note: A sample chapter outline page is included below.]

Q: How many revisions will you typically do on a novel?

A: Short answer: as many as it takes. I've only written 3 novels and a novella, so I'm still learning. It seems after a first draft I need one revision to make the story work better and fix the plot elements. Then another revision to make sure each chapter makes sense. Then another revision to clean up the prose as best I can before giving it to beta readers. Then another revision after beta readers have given me feedback. Then I'll read it again with all the changes and make notes as I find things to fix. I'd say I need 3-5 revisions because I'm still learning a lot about writing a great story, but I'm hoping that number will go down as I get more novels under my belt. Using the outlining methods I described above seems to help me skip the first revision where I make huge sweeping changes to fix the plot.

Q: What is your best tip for editing a manuscript?

A: When editing your manuscript read it in a different format than the way you wrote it. Some people print it off, others read it in a different program. I am used to reading e-books in my Kindle app on my phone so I make my book into a Kindle file and read it on my phone. In the Kindle app you can highlight things and make comments. I have found these tools to work perfectly for marking things that need to be fixed. I make a note and then just keep reading. Once I've built up a bunch of comments I go back into my manuscript and make those edits. But reading your book in a way that looks different from the program you wrote it in helps your brain see mistakes that it might otherwise overlook. Another great tip is to read your work out loud. It's pretty easy to have Siri read an e-book to me on my iPhone, so that's what I do. It helps me hear all kinds of mistakes my eyes might have skipped.

Q: Which writing habits and/or tricks of the trade have made you a better writer?

A: In sixth grade my teacher used to have us do timed writes. At the beginning of the year she had us write for 5 minutes. It felt like forever. She just said "Write about whatever. Just write." By the end of the year she had us writing for 20 minutes. When she said stop it felt like we had just started. Now when I sit down to write, the words just flow. I'm forever grateful for that teacher. Do your own writing sprints. Start with 5 minutes. Write about whatever. Just get used to writing. Once that feels like nothing, do 7 or 10 minutes. Work your way up to 20 minutes. If you do this you will build the habit of sitting down and writing and the words will flow. Now I can just sit down and start writing immediately. The other best tip I ever heard was to turn off your internal editor while writing the first draft and keep writing until you finish your story. A lot of writers have been rewriting the first chapter of their novel for years trying to get it perfect. You might end up cutting the first chapter once you're done with the book. Don't worry if everything you write seems like it's crap. Even the pros feel that way sometimes. Keep going and finish your story. You can always go back and edit it as many times as you need to make it perfect later, but you need to finish your stories.

Q: Do you ever suffer through writer’s block? If so, how do you fight it?

A: I used to. But now that I outline and know where I'm going, I don't. That said there are times when I'm outlining and can't figure out a part of the story. I just keep thinking about it and trying to figure out what would work best. I keep thinking about the problem of what should happen next throughout my day. Eventually my subconscious figures it out and at a random point in time it comes to me and I write it down and continue outlining.

Q: What drew you to write your preferred genre(s)?

A: Science fiction and fantasy are my favorite genres to read so that's what I usually write. I occasionally write thrillers and literary fiction too but have only done those in short story form. I've really enjoyed the few thrillers that I have read but I mostly stick to science fiction and fantasy. I just go with whatever genre my story ideas fit in. I'm not one of those authors who only writes in one genre. Maybe I will someday if I find success with a series or something, but I'm still learning what my preferred genre is. More than likely I'll just keep writing in all the genres my story ideas suggest.

Q: Do you utilize beta readers?

A: Yes, and I wish I would have early on! I tried making a manuscript the best it could be on my own and then handing it to an editor, only for the editor to point out big things that beta readers could have caught that needed fixing. It's great getting different perspectives from different readers.

Q: In your most recently published novel, what’s one scene you really enjoyed writing—and why?

A: The last scene. I felt like it was a very emotional and satisfying scene. I had a lot of fun coming up with imagery that the main character recalls as he's remembering his dangerous journey. It's sad but I think it leaves the reader in a good place. It's probably the scene I am most proud of in any of my published books to date.

Q: What makes the main character(s) of your most recent novel so special?

A: I would have to say the fact that he's brave and resourceful. Also that he literally has a little magic up his sleeve. He's also the only one who knows of the great danger facing his family and the only one who can warn them of it. He's no one special but he is an everyman who has to conquer some pretty extraordinary circumstances, and I like stories about people like that. In my humble opinion, the hero shouldn't always be the chosen one or a prince. In my story he's just a village merchant on a quest to save his family and fulfill the dying wish of a loved one. I'd like to think he becomes a man along the way.Q: What is your best advice for author self-promotion?

A: Write the next book. The best marketing is to have more books available. It also doesn't hurt to try and get the word out about your book by being a guest blogger. (Thanks, Jim!) Getting on podcasts is great too. I've found a lot of authors by hearing them being interviewed on podcasts.

Q: How do you deal with negative reviews?

A: I try really hard to learn from them. If I can't I try to ignore them. I'm not saying it's easy. I will get a review that praises my story for a certain reason, and then another review on that same story that leaves a negative review for the same reason others loved the story. You can't please everyone. Maybe if you get tons of negative reviews that mention the same issue, it's a clue that you might need to revise something in your story; but you will always get negative reviews no matter how good your story is. Some authors say they never read any of their reviews. I find reviews encouraging, so I read mine.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: Being in control. I can't imagine finishing a story and not being able to pick the title, the cover, make the interior design decisions, or choose the release date. I'm sure many authors would want nothing to do with formatting or choosing the right font for their cover but I love every aspect of making a book. It would be so frustrating to wait months or a year for your book to come out once it's ready to go; or to have a cover or title you don't like put on the story you spent so much time on. I also love making covers and I have come to love doing the interior design. I'm lucky I'm a digital artist for my day job, so working in Photoshop is something I've been doing professionally for years.

Q: What is your least favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: Not having a free professional editor. Not having distribution in physical book stores, even though that seems to have become much less important these days.Q: What is your current writing project? What's it called?

A: A children's chapter book. I'm calling it The Case of the Missing Snowman (A Barnabas Thackeray Mystery). It's going to be about 10,000 words long and have fun black-and-white illustrations inside that I'm really excited to draw. If things go well it will be the first in a series. I'm a quarter of the way through the first draft as I write this. This year my oldest son started to love reading. This made me want to write a book he would love. I hope he likes it. Him and everyone else!

Q: What are three of your favorite novels?A: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; Wool by Hugh Howey

Q: If you could have lunch with any novelist, living or dead, who would it be? What would talk to them about?

A: Stephen King. I would talk to him about characters and ask him how he makes them so real. I think his characterizations are some of the best out there.

Q: What is your best piece of advice for budding authors?

A: Finish your stories. Don't worry if you feel like you're writing crap. Just keep writing. Turn off your internal editor and just keep writing until you finish your story. Even though we all thought we would—none of us will write The Great American Novel on our first attempt. Most authors don't even write a novel worth publishing until they have already written several terrible novels. Do some research and you'll find that most authors' "debut" novels are really like their fifth or sixth novel and they have a whole trunkful of awful novels they'll never show anyone. It takes a lot of writing to learn how to do it well, so get to writing! The best way to get better at writing is to write a ton. Get inspired, get your butt in the chair, and get your fingers on the keyboard. Or, as in my case, get your voice dictating so your smart phone can turn your words into text.

Q: What is your favorite inspirational quote?A: Honestly I don't have a favorite inspirational quote so I looked one up. But I really like this one: "Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." — Louis L'Amour

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Writing helps relieve me from everyday stress. I step into other lives, sometimes in a different world altogether. It allows me to create something from nothing. A bad day can be channeled into a fight scene. It works for blowing off steam. I’ve always written for myself and only recently I’ve been sharing it with others. Sometimes it can be difficult to continue to write, excruciating even. Especially when my imaginary friends don’t want to talk to me. When that happens, I have a snowman stress ball I throw around a lot. Off the walls, in the air, on the ground. It drives my animals crazy and anyone else that happens to be in the house with me at the time. While I’m doing this, I try tapping into the characters I’m writing about at that time. You know, get into their heads.

I could be better with my writer's block if I could be more consistent with writing. Finding the time can be difficult. I work full time. I also have a wife, two kids, two dogs, and two cats. We live in a small town in Montana, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Life can be crazy in a small town, particularly if you have kids. I sit on the board for our local youth soccer program as well as the board for our local friends of the library. I help run my daughter’s 4-H club and sit as a member on our county’s 4-H council. Finding time to write can be extremely difficult some weeks. When I do get a chance to write, I do my best writing in the morning and my creativity usually runs out around noon. Sometimes I get creative streaks at night too. In the middle of the day I tend to sit in front of the monitor and stare at it or surf the Net (bad idea on that one) as I'm trying to write.

Like many indie authors, writing full time without having a day job would be quite an achievement and a goal I’ve set. It would be nice at that point. I'd take my kids overseas and let them see different cultures. Possibly start a travel blog or something along those lines. With writing, I can travel and write at the same time. Another dream of mine would be the ability to wake up one morning and say “Let’s go to Europe today!” I think it would be amazing to have that much freedom. Plus I could visit castles, which would be cool considering I’m mainly a fantasy writer.

However, I tend to mix genres when I write. I don’t stay within the bounds of one genre; it could get boring that way. A perfect example, my current novel The Books of Azric: The Beginning, is a blend of medieval fantasy, steampunk, and western, with portals. To be honest, I didn’t know about steampunk until I explained my book contained steam machinery in it. Elves cruising around in steam carriages. I just thought it would be cool. My friend explained it as a steampunk crossover. Researching steampunk blew my mind. As far as "western" goes, this book doesn’t involve guns or anything like that, but there are many other things that make it feel western: a high noon showdown with swords, throwing knives like a cowboy would use two six shooters, sheriffs and bounty hunters. It may not be the normal western novel but the western theme can be found.

The Books of Azric started off being about a bounty hunter, Colt, and his apprentice, Zane. Then they met other characters. The next thing I knew my story changed from what I planned. My characters wanted to tell a different story in a different way. I intended on the content to be more like Lord of the Rings, but Lord Roderick (one of my favorites to write) told me Game of Thrones would be more to his liking. My characters bully me into what they want. They choose their own path and suffer the consequences. I do have other stories out, one called “The Siege,” a short story about sharing the rule between Human, Elf and Dwarf. One of my favorites, yet to be published anywhere but on my blog, “Gleeson the Defender,” is a bloody tale but a fun read.

I have received great reviews from peers, readers, and my beta readers on everything I’ve done. My most important initial feedback comes from beta readers. They read it before anyone else and help me find holes in the plot that I might have missed. My wife found a huge plot hole at one point. Devastating! I spent months writing this and anger took hold. I just wanted to delete it from my computer. I’m glad I didn’t. I fixed it in three sentences. The fix and the catch made me happy. I would never publish without beta readers. The unimaginable importance of beta readers can’t be matched.

To all those that want to write but don’t think they have what it takes, my advice is to pick up a pencil and paper, open up a word doc, or anything else you use to write on, and just write. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just can’t be forced. Let it flow and let your characters do the talking.

#

No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Books were always an important part of our household. It's what every first-time visitor said as they gazed around our living room: “What a lot of books.” Nothing was taboo, you helped yourself to whatever looked interesting. My sister and I belonged to our local library as soon as we could walk; both my mum and grandma were gifted storytellers. Perhaps it isn't surprising I started to write stories of my own.

The catalyst was an assignment at school. How “Write a story” translated into “Write a twenty-eight page illustrated haunted house story,” we will never know, but that's what happened. This simple piece of homework unlocked something deep within me. I was hooked. After that I took a folder wherever I went, scribbling down ideas and sketching characters. I announced at eleven, apropos of nothing, that one day I would be a famous author. My mum was mortified!

The trouble was I didn't have any staying power. Star Wars fan fiction aside, everything I wrote petered out after ten pages. I wrote dozens of radio plays and musicals but they were intended for an audience of one—i.e., me. I kept diaries, but obviously they were top secret. At fifteen I finally completed a manuscript and mailed it off to a nearby publishing house. I was crushed by the inevitable rejection and didn't write for a year.

My salvation came when I was selecting universities. I was planning to study English Literature, my best subject, but the words "English Language with Creative Writing" in the Lancaster University brochure galvanized me into action. This was it! I was going to learn how to be a writer!

Many universities offer creative writing courses now, but it was a novelty back in 2003. I sent them a chapter of my work in progress, fingers crossed. In hindsight, it was utterly feeble, a mass of teenage clichés, but I didn't know any better. Somehow they saw past this juvenilia and offered me a place. The class proved a steep learning curve. I had to overcome my crippling shyness and horror of public speaking to actually read my work aloud—awkward when it was full of gay relationships and skullduggery. I joined the campus writing group, where I met my partner. To this day, she is my best collaborator and critic.

I graduated a more confident, competent writer. The perfect subject eluded me, however—it was another two years before I began to write about a closeted Victorian governess and her charge. That novel, The Governess, was published with Kindle Direct Publishing in 2012. My partner persuaded me to enter it in the 2013 Polari First Book Prize competition. I shrieked with joy when it ended up on the longlist.

By then I had developed a taste for sustained writing. My second book, The Revenge of Rose Grubb, couldn't have been more different. It was an urban fantasy revenge tragedy—or, as I once described it, “Hamlet for girls.” Since it was still on the niche side, I thought it would be best to indie publish this one too. My research had shown that many publishers were reluctant to pick up mixed genres or LGBT subject matter.

My latest novel, Love and Robotics, is yet another departure. Published earlier this year, it's the story of Josh, an artificial, or advanced, robot, and Alfred, the grizzled explorer he falls in love with. It was my first attempt at writing science fiction and romance. It's also the proud result of four years, countless beers and possibly the weirdest search history on record. I became fascinated by robot ethics and the questions they prompt: can a robot ever truly love a human? What if unscrupulous humans take advantage of or maltreat robots? If whole areas of employment become roboticised, what happens to the human workers who are made redundant? If robots become sentient, aren't they entitled to rights? I try to answer all these questions and more.

I wouldn't say I had anything that resembled a method. I write when I feel inspired, not at any other time. Reading is vital—how else will you know what works? I try to keep fresh by writing blogs, reviews, and short stories as well as novels; my current project is a novella about a love triangle, set in 1911. I love social media but can't deny that it's an enormous temptation! Before you know it, you've spent hours ping-ponging your views of this celebrity or that politician rather than do any meaningful work.

My goals as an indie writer are far from concrete. As success is so rare in any part of the industry, I'm content to keep on writing and publishing at regular intervals. If it takes off, fantastic, but it’s better to keep your feet on the ground and polish your craft. It's an exciting, intellectually and emotionally fulfilling hobby—and what could be better than that?

#

No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Friday, April 29, 2016

A: That’s tough to say. There was always a story running in my head. When I was a kid, I would draw and create worlds that would make Tolkien happy. When I wasn’t drawing, I was daydreaming. In math classes and church I killed a lot of ninjas. When I became an adult I started to put stories and ideas on paper more and more. Sometime in my thirties the idea of books started to formulate. Since then I’ve had two novels published. Most recently, Eight Days. I’m a storyteller. I use the word author so people can find me online, but I don’t know if I like the word. "Author" sounds too much like someone much smarter than me, but I can work with being a storyteller.

Q: What is your typical writing day like?

A: I like to start early and write first, before everything else distracts me. I don’t write too long. Maybe an hour. When it’s time for revisions I’ll spend more time working on a manuscript. This evolves the more I learn about writing and the better I get. I would like to dedicate three to four hours to writing daily, but at this time in my life that’s not possible.

Q: Do you outline? If so, how extensive are your outlines?

A: I outline each story, but only about a page or so. I do take lots of notes and write dozens of ideas down that I might use. The outlines give me goals to write to, but I don’t let them control the story too much. If things need to change, if the characters go somewhere different than I planned, I’ll follow. I’m always listening, and I might add something new I pick up along the way.

Q: How many revisions will you typically do on a novel?

A: That depends on the story. I write the first draft, and then put it away for a few weeks. Then I’ll come back and do one revision before letting my wife read the manuscript. She’ll pick up on continuity issues and characters taking actions without the proper motivation. Then I’ll revise based on her notes and ideas. After that, I’ll read the manuscript again. Once a publisher sees it I’ll usually end up revising parts of it again several times based on their findings. Some of the revisions are to improve continuity, to improve phrasing, to make parts of the story make more sense, and finally to clean up typos. Eight Days probably went through about seven revisions.

Q: What is your best tip for editing a manuscript?

A: Editing is tough for me. I’ve always had trouble with words, even though I love them, and I don’t see things that should be obvious. The best thing you can do is to get the help of professional editors. Even if you’re a grammar guru, you should get someone else to edit for you because we become blind to our own errors, even when they’re obvious.

Q: Which writing habits and/or tricks of the trade have made you a better writer?

A: To always keep a notebook handy to take notes, even if it’s for stories you may not work on for years. I don’t know if it’s an industry habit or not, but I think discipline is the least spoken about trick to completing writing projects. You can be the best writer in the world, but if you don’t have the discipline to finish a work, to edit it, to sell it to a publisher, and then to promote it, you won’t be read.

Q: Do you ever suffer through writer’s block? If so, how do you fight it?

A: Not really. Sometimes writing is hard because life is busy, but it’s work, and to complete your work you have to start, stay at it, and finish.

Q: What drew you to write your preferred genre(s)?

A: I write the stories I want to tell. Publishers and readers put me into genres more than I do. I think maybe I’m a Southern Fiction writer, but later novels may be set in other places with themes not common in Southern stories. The term “Literary Fiction” can sound boring, so I don’t know if that’s a good fit for me either, but it’s sometimes used to describe my writing. Genres are good for helping readers find books, and I don’t have a problem with them, but I don’t want categories to limit me. I hope people who read in any genre will like my work.

Q: Do you utilize beta readers?

A: My wife and then maybe a couple of close friends. After that it’s usually editors who offer suggestions. I don’t have a formal beta reader process in place.

Q: In your most recently published novel, what’s one scene you really enjoyed writing—and why?

A: I enjoyed writing about the main character’s father. His father died when he was young, and he never knew him. My dad doesn’t remember his own father, so it was special to consider what it might be like to learn about someone you love but can’t remember.

Q: What makes the main character(s) of your most recent novel so special?

A: They are real. You know them. Maybe they are you. Life is hard, but it’s also beautiful, and like the rest of us, the characters usually forgot to enjoy the day to day.

Q: What is your best advice for author self-promotion?

A: I don’t like self-promotion, but it’s something we have to do as authors. Most of us anyway. If you write something you believe in it’s easier to share it. Be honest. Be yourself. People want to know who you are, so show them some of your life. You have to keep safe boundaries, but don’t be afraid to be human. Help others and they’ll help you in return. The writing business is the only one I’ve ever experienced where others help each other so much.

Q: How do you deal with negative reviews?

A: I look at negative reviews of the best authors in the world. Even Hemingway is trashed in Amazon sometimes. Everyone won’t like your work, but some will. Write for yourself first, and then write for those who do need to read your work. Stories change people. They heal. Don’t worry too much about negativity. Think about the good your story will do.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: I like the freedom. Even though I have a publisher, they allow great freedom to explore areas that larger houses wouldn’t allow. They take risks. I worked with a larger house before Eight Days and we had big creative differences. French Press Bookworks helped guide my vision, but they never tried to change it. If you can find people who understand what you’re trying to do, and want to help you, that’s the foundation of a good relationship.

Q: What is your least favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: There’s not much money for promotion, and it’s much more difficult to get your book in front of people.

Q: What is your current writing project?

A: I’m working on my next novel. I’m continuing to study the purpose and meaning of life.

Q: What are three of your favorite novels?

A: A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean ; A Walk Across America, by Peter Jenkins; Serena, by Ron Rash.

Q: If you could have lunch with any novelist, living or dead, who would it be? What would you talk to them about?

A: Peter Jenkins. I’d talk about whatever he wants. When you get to meet a genius, it’s best to sit back and listen.

Q: What is your best piece of advice for budding authors?

A: Write almost every day and keep working. It’s tough, but if you’re persistent, you can do something good with your writing.